Ikea announces further expansion with opening of first Irish distribution centre

New site will employ more than 200 people and cut delivery times down to three days, the company said 

credit: IKEA Ireland, Robbie Reynolds.

Furniture giant Ikea has announced a further expansion into Ireland with the opening of its first-ever logistics and distribution centre in the country. 

Located in Rathcoole in Dublin, the centre spans over 27,000 square metres and has a storage capacity of 20,000 cubic metres - double the size of Croke park - with the Swedish retailer adding it will allow deliveries to reach Irish customers in three days.

The new facility will employ more than 200 people and follows investments in six Irish plan and order points as well as upgrades to the retailer's Ballymun store. 

The new centre will result in Ikea's business in Ireland having one of the shortest delivery times in Europe, the company said, as deliveries will no longer be dispatched from the UK.

The furniture giant expects the distribution centre to make more than 300,000 deliveries in the first year of operation, with that figure almost doubling to nearly 600,000 within five years. Eventually, Ikea hopes to deliver up to three million items a year from the centre.

"The centre marks a key step in our ambitious expansion plans across Ireland," said Jakob Bertilsson, Country Customer Fulfilment Manager, IKEA Ireland and UK.

"IKEA’s new distribution centre in Rathcoole will provide a boost for the local economy, creating 120 new jobs," said Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins. 

"It is also positive news for its customers, significantly reducing IKEA’s delivery times and enhancing accessibility for its Irish customers."

The furniture giant has called the site "one of the most sustainable and energy-efficient logistics facilities in Ireland," adding that it has committed to ensuring all deliveries to customers across Ireland will be exclusively in zero-emission vehicles by August 2025.

"IKEA is committed to the Paris Agreement and to helping limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels," said Marsha Smith, Deputy CEO of IKEA Ireland and UK.
"By transitioning to zero emission deliveries and having an energy efficient distribution centre, we are playing our part in protecting the planet."